Front-facing automatic feathering-oar



(No Model.)

B. M. STEELE.

FRONT FACING AUTOMATIC FEATHERING OAR. v No; 358,757. Patented Mar. 1,1887.

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NiTEE States BENJAMIN M. STEELE, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

FRONT-FACING AUTOMATIC FEATHERlNG-OAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,757, dated March 1,1887.

Application filed April 26, 1856. Serial No. 200,159.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN M. STEELE, of Peoria, in the county of,Peoria, State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Front- FacingAutomatic Feathering-Oar; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of this invention is the construction of an improvedfront-facing self-feathering oar.

My front facing oar is of the kind in which the oar is made in twopivoted portions provided with intermeshing gears, whereby the rearwardswing of the handle portion is made to force backward the oar and sendthe boat in the same direction in which the oarsman is facing. Tosimplify and render more durable thisiorm of front-facing oar, I havedevised the following construction,reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the oarmechanism; Fig. 2, a central horizontal section of the same; Fig. 3, aperspective view of the entire oar.

The paddle portion 0 of the car and the handle 0 are each pivotedbetween the two plates A, and provided with the intermeshing gears F.Said plates are rigidly connected by the posts A, and from the lowerplate extend the bearingarms B, terminating in the bearing-pins B, whichare adapted to enter the eyes Oof the' bearing-posts O,inserted into theSaid bearing-posts have shoulders (J to hold them at the right heightabove the gunwale, and are perforated at their lower ends for theinsertion of split Formed as a part of each gear F is a socket,intowhich are inserted the inner ends of the parts of the oar. The handle 0is made fast in the socket E by means of a rivet or bolt, E; but thepaddle portion 0 is held loosely in the socket E of the other gear. IThrough the upper side of said socket E is the slot S, extending aboutninety degrees of the circumference of the socket. The pin P, projectingthrough said slot from the oar-stem in the socket, retains the oar inplace and limits the rocking thereof to approximately a right angle.

Pivoted to the top plate, A, are the shiftinglevers L, coupled togetherby thelink M, and

(No model.)

the object of which is to alternately engage with the pin P and rock theoar in the way termed feathering.

The elongated button N is held at oneend to the plate A by means of thegear-pivot F and at its other end to the socket by a suitable pin, N, sothat the said button oscillates with the oar-handle. The same result isaccomplished by casting said button as a part of the socket E, orotherwise rigidly connecting it thereto so as to project in toward thecenter of the plate A. The object of said button is, by its impress withthe end L of either lever L at the end of the oars swing in onedirection, to shift the said levers, and by their engagement with thepin P to rock the oar '0.

As shown in Fig. 1, by pulling the handle 0 the oar O swings backward inthe same direction until the pin P comes in contact with the nearerlever L. The button Nat the same timenneets the end L of said lever,andswings it and the pin P so that said pin is moved to the opposite end ofthe slot S,there=by rocking the oar-blade from its vertical and workingposition to its approximately horizontal and feathering position. Inthesame way the oar is,at the opposite termination of its stroke, rockedfrom its feathering position to its working one, the two levers L beingunited by the link M,in order that the working movement of one shallgive to the other the proper replacing to adapt the same for engagingwith the pin P. A tensionspring substituted for the link M would servethe same purpose; but the way shown I deem more preferable.

To look the oar-blade O in the feathering and working positions, Isecure to the socket E, at the side of the slot S,the spring R,havingthe locking notches It. Then the oar is caused to rock and bring the pinP to either end of the slot S, said pin fits in the notch R thereat, andthe pressure of the spring holds the same therein. Said spring is madesufliciently strong to hold the oar from turning either when featheringor working, but not so strong but that the oar can shift when the pin Pis met by the shifting-levers L.

As shown in Fig. 3,0ne or both the bearingposts 0 have their eyes 0offset to bring the bearing center of the oar nearer the edge of the.boats gunwale, and thereby enable the oar to be folded together and itsblade dropped within the gnnwale.

I am aware that prior to myinvention frontfaeing oars have beenconstructed in which intermeshing gears were employed for giving thedesired opposite oscillation to the handle and blade; but myconstruction thereof is a great improvement.

What I claim as my invention,and for which I desire Letters Patent, isas follows, to wit:

1. In a feathering-oar,the combination vith the p1ate,of the slottedsocket pivoted thereto, the oar-blade having its stem loosely mounted insaid socket, the pin projecting from said stem through said slot, abutton held by said plate, and the levers pivoted to said plate andadapted by their engagement with said button and pin to oscillate theoar-blade and give it the desired feathering motion.

\ 2.- The combination, in a feathering-oar, of the plate, the slottedsocket pivoted to said plate, the oar-blade having its stem looselymounted in said socket, the pin projecting from stem through said slot,the spring R, secured to said socket and adapted to lock said pin ateither end of said slot,a button held by said plate, and the leverspivoted to said plate and adapted by their engagement with said buttonand pin to feather the oar,as described.

3. The combination, in afeathering-oar, of 0 the plate, the socketpivoted to said plate, the oar-blade having its stem loosely mounted insaid socket, the pin projecting from said stem through the slot,a'button held by said plate, the levers pivoted to said plate andadapted 5 to engage With said button and pin, and the link joining saidlevers,for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, in a feathering-oar, of the rigidly-joinedp1ates,the gears pivoted be- 0 tween said plates, and having,respectively, a slotted and unslotted socket, the handle fixed in theunslotted socket, the oar-blade having its stem loosely mounted insaidslottedsocket, the pin projecting from said stem through said slot,the spring secured to said slotted socket. for locking said pin, thebutton pivoted to the upper of said plates and to said unslotted socket,and the levers pivoted to said upper plate and adapted to engage withsaid button and pin, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention I have hereunto set myhand and seal this 19th day ofApril, in the year 1886.

BENJAMIN M. STEELE. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

A. B. UPHAM, H. W. WELLS.

